MSP ASH REGAN CLAIMS CURRENT PARLIAMENT MEMBERS HAVE USED PROSTITUTES

By Lucy Ashton

Currently serving MSPs have used prostitutes, it has been claimed, as new legislation was proposed to criminalise the purchase of sexual acts and decriminalise the selling of sex.

The Alba Party’s only MSP Ash Regan is hoping to get the bill passed before the Holyrood Election.

One former sex worker claimed that some politicians have used her services when she sold her body for money.

She said that she recognised some of her former male clients on TV and reported her concerns to Ms Regan.

She insisted that MSPs who have used prostitutes should declare their activities during Holyrood debates on the issue due to having a “vested interest.” Her bombshell revelation came as she launched her bill which aims to clampdown on people buying sex.

Some activities related to prostitution are currently illegal while sex buyers can fall foul of kerb crawling laws.

Ms Regan is proposing fines of up to £10,000 and six month jail sentences for those who attempt to hire a prostitute.

She told the Daily Record about a woman who recently left prostitution and told her that she had MSP clients.

She said: “We know that in Scotland about one man in ten will buy sex, so that would suggest to us that there is a likelihood that there would be MSPs that buy sex, and there would be people in the civil service that buy sex.

“It was confirmed to me today that there are current, serving MSPs – and that is plural, so not just one, but there are multiple – who are sex buyers.”

She added: “She described seeing them on television.” Asked if she believed the woman, she replied: “Yes.”

She was also asked if male MSPs should declare if they have ever bought sex and said: “I think this is something maybe we need to think about, that people will be voting on this where perhaps they do have a vested interest in it, and it’s a different way to think about this debate, that there could be people in the Parliament who are currently sex buyers.”

Holyrood currently has 70 male MSPs. Ms Regan is hoping to get the member’s bill through the parliament before the election next May but this is unlikely to happen as she only officially launched it on Tuesday.

She described prostitution as “modern slavery” and said: “Between 6,000 and 8,000 women we think are involved in prostitution in Scotland, which is not an insignificant number. I don’t want to live in a country where you can order women like a pizza, with no consequences for the people that do it.”

Fiona Broadfoot, Chief Executive of Build A Girl UK, joined Ms Regan at the event at Holyrood. She is a former prostitute and described how it was “very ordinary men” who used her: “They weren’t dirty old men in raincoats. They were doctors, teachers, police officers.”

She was asked if it is likely male MSPs had used prostitutes. “Absolutely, 100%,” she said. “It’s usually powerful men. It’s usually wealthy men. A lot of the act is about power and control. For some reason, coming to visit a girl or woman in the sex trade really turns them on and it’s a real kick.”

The bill is based on the Nordic model of targeting sex buyers and would also quash historic convictions and establish a right to public service support for prostitutes.

It’s focus is on sex acts and would not include lap dancing bars or services bought through sites such as OnlyFans.

However, Scottish sex workers have responded to the Regan Bill by launching a campaign to fight the proposed new law due to concerns it would make it more dangerous for them as they would be forced to work underground.